Complicated Lives Part 1
by ArcticWolf91
Summary: Kirby is dead and Kodi is left alone in this world. A new dog appears and Kodi seems to take an interest in her. Will he tell her about his past or will he have to live a lie? And if he does tell her, will she love him back or ruin his life?
1. And So It Continues

**Sequel To 'A Story Of The Forbidden Love'**

**I do not own any of the characters in this story, but Lily. She belongs to me. Hank and Kano belong to CatWhoHas14Tails. Story inspired by "Buried Secrets and Unnoted Sins" and "Love Doesn't End With Goodbye"**

**Warning: Contains Gay Content**

**-----------------------------------------------------------------**

**Complicated Lives**

**Part 1**

"Why did you have to go….why?" Kodi asked himself as he cried in the cold winter night. A once happy dog is now nothing more than an empty shell waiting for life to end. He didn't believe in suicide, but sometimes, he wished that it would end right there and then.

It's been almost a year since his mate, Kirby, had died. Nobody knows what really happened. All they know is that he was attacked and eaten up by a pack of hungry wolves. The news of Kirby's death made dogs cry from all over the state. Since he was a dear friend and he was well known around the towns where he used to make deliveries, dogs held a small ceremony in his memory. Kodi didn't go, since he would collapse in tears at the mention of his name. Dogs may suspect their hidden, yet undeniable relationship.

Kodi would sometimes stay up all night crying his eyes out. He remembered the quite nights when they would sleep together and listen to each others heart beat. He would never forget the melody. It would thump in his head all day. Everything he saw would remind him of Kirby. There was no escape.

He was never the same. He would be always silent around his family and friends. When he was alone, they would hear him whispering words to himself. They couldn't really make anything out of them, but it sounded like poems of love. They would also hear him cry at night. They would ask him what the problem was, something good friends would do. Hank and Kano would ask once and a while, but they really showed no interest in his problems. They knew that they have completed their plans in dividing the two.

He would say nothing to them. He didn't even talk to his hero and father, Balto.

Winter has been hard for the mail team. There would be days that they couldn't go out and make deliveries and sometimes, Dusty or Hank would get sick. That would cost the team even more days. It was horrible. Even though Kodi didn't say anything, he would be worried. Since he was the new lead dog, it was his responsibility to delivery the mail on time and keep his team in good shape. Kodi would sometimes run in the beach, to work out his leg muscle, but he never ran with his teammates. He would only run with them when he had to do his job.

Unfortunately, the musher has not yet found a dog suitable to be in the team. They would either be too weak or it would not be comfortable around new dogs. It has been hard for him since his job was on the line. He would always be late. He needed a new dog and he needed one now. Kodi pushed extra hard to try go get to the town on time, but he never did. He did this a lot so you can now see that he was very well in shape and was a very strong dog, but only physically.

It was Sunday morning and, unaware to Kodi, it would be the day that would change his life forever.


	2. Lily

Everything started like every other Sunday. The team woke up, ate breakfast and head out to run around. Kodi would take his time in everything. He would wake up last and walk slowly to his bowl. He would eat half of it and then walk out and lay down on the ground. The other dogs of Nome would see him and talk about how lazy Kodi is getting. They would spread some rumors that Kodi has lost interest in the team and is letting them down. Kodi, in reality, still loved his job. He would just be depressed all the time. Everyone had already recovered from Kirby's death, but it looked like Kodi would never recover.

The day went by really slow. Kodi started to feel really bored so he decided to stand and walk around. He forgot how his town looked like since he would always be in the boiler room or out of town doing his job. He walked around the boiler room and walked into town.

He saw a lot of people outside having fun with their kids. That reminded him of Kirby, something he wishes would stop happening every single day. He knew he would never have kids since he was gay. He would never give his parents any grandchildren, which was something they really wanted. This made him really depressed so he lowered his head and continued his walk.

He didn't see anything in front of him, but knew when someone was close with the shadow they gave out on the ground. He felt a wind gust hit him that made his body shiver. He couldn't deny the fact that he felt relaxed and refreshed. He breathes in the cold air with his eyes closed. After he exhaled and the wind died out, he opened his eyes to see his musher with a dog next to him. He was talking to a man in a suit and they both looked happy.

Mr. Simpson looked towards Kodi and called his dog over. Kodi walked fast towards him and as he walked closer, he noticed that the man had given his dog to Mr. Simpson.

"Hey boy, I would like you to meet our new team member, Lily."

Kodi had his ears up and was staring at her. She looked like a mix between a Chow Chow and a Husky. She was about Kodi's height and had brown fur. Her eyes were amber and she had a smile on her face, like a smart and innocent cute girl. She almost looked like a female version of Kirby.

"I'm sure your dog will do well on my team. She looks very well trained and I appreciate you coming here to give me the dog personally. You have no idea how much I need her. Thank you again." Mr. Simpson shock his hand after finishing.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you. Have a great day." The man in the suit left and now it was only the musher, Kodi, and the new dog, Lily.

Mr. Simpson took them both to the boiler room and left to get her some food. While walking towards the small shack, he couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was so beautiful. She walked with a smile still on her face. She looked like an angel that was sent from heaven. During that whole time, he didn't think about Kirby. The only one in his mind was that dog named Lily.

** o **

The new dog ate while Kodi laid down a few yards away from. This dog really looked like Kirby. She, of course, was not thick like a male dog, but she was well fit. She had leg muscle and looked like she was fast. She had the same noise marking as Kodi. Her ears were flapped forward she lowered her head to finish her meal. Afterwards, she looked at Kodi and started to talk to him.

"Hello. You may already know that my name is Lily. What's yours?" she asked in a very friendly tone.

"Hi, my name is Kodi. I'm the lead dog." He answered standing up looking strong. He couldn't believe what he was doing. He was actually showing off to her.

"Kodi huh?" she said looking up and down his body. She couldn't deny the fact that Kodi was in fact really muscular. He looked very strong. She felt impressed. His running and pushing hard really did pay off.

"Well Kodi, I heard a lot about you and your team. I-uh-I am really sorry about Kirby." She said looking down. She truly was sorry. She also knew that his death really affected Kodi the most. She heard it from a lot of rumors going around the town. She knew that Kodi and Kirby were best of friends.

"Oh, yeah…." Kodi answer looking down. He remembered Kirby again. His smile went away. The thoughts of Kirby filled his head and he walked slowly into the back of the room. _I can't fall in love again. Kirby is and will always be my one and only. I don't want to feel hurt ever again. Even if it means not falling in love…ever again. _The poor dog said to himself.

Lily noticed his discomfort and saw him walk into a dark corner of the room. She walked slowly towards him.

"Hey Kodi, I'm sorry that I brought that up. I'm so stupid. It's just that, I though you moved on like everyone else."

"No, its ok. It's just that Kirby and I…." but before he could say anything, he stopped himself. He didn't want to tell her his secret. He didn't want anybody to know. What if she was like the rest of them? She would make fun of him or worse.

"You and Kirby what?" she asked.

"Oh….uh…It's just that, we were very good friends and he was like a brother to me." Kodi replied as he stood up trying to give out a fake smile. "It's ok. Hey let me introduce you to the team."

"Oh, ok. But before, can you show me around Nome first. I would love to know my surroundings before I start to work here. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, of course. Let me show you around."

** o **

Kodi walked with Lily for hours. They talked and laughed. They ran around a bit and played. He found out that she used to live in a city called Oregon before her master decided to bring her here to sell her. She never had a friend before since all the dogs she known before had treated her horribly. She never felt love towards her master since he would train her hard to become fast and strong. He would also treat her harshly sometimes. She didn't remember a lot about her mother or father. She acted friendly this morning, because she believes in new beginnings. Kodi was her fist friend.

"I love it here. Everything is so quiet and so beautiful." She said as they walked on the beaches shore.

"Yeah, everything here is….beautiful"

Kodi blushed as the sunset made her amber eyes glow. They mesmerized him for a while. She looked back at him and asked if everything was ok.

"Oh….yeah, everything's fine." He looked away as he answers her question. _No. This is wrong. I love Kirby and no other dog. _

"Kodi, what are you thinking about?" she asked a bit worried now. During the day, he was always smiling and laughing. Now, he's serious. There was a dramatic change.

"Uh…..well….." the red dog started, but before he could continue, he saw a similar boat on the shore. ", I want to present to you my dad." He said very proud and with a smile.

"Ok. Sure. That would be great."

They both raced to the boat. Kodi stopped a few feet away from his dad's house.

"Wait right here. I'll bring him out."

He walked up and disappeared into the boat. Lily laid down and waited patiently on the ground. All she can think about in that time alone was Kodi. His strong body muscle and his sweet yet mysterious personality, she never met anyone as nice as him. _Kodi...you so good with me and so cute. _She giggled to that thought.

After a few more minutes, Kodi came out with his dad right behind him. The older dog looked tired, as if he was just woken up. Lily quickly stood up and smiled at the sight of Kodi. Once out of the boat, Kodi introduced his dad.

"Lily this is my dad, Balto. Dad, this is Lily. She is new here and she will be on the sled team helping us out."

"Hello Lily, nice to meet you. I'm sure you'll find my son to be a very fast runner. I hope you do well since the team has been late for quite a while now."

"Don't worry. I'm pretty fast myself and I'll work hard to bring Kodi's team back to the way it was." She answers with a smile.

"That's great to hear. I'm so sorry, but I have to get back to my home. I'm really tired today and I need some rest. I'll talk to you and Kodi later. Have a great day Lily." And with that, Balto turned around and walked back into his boat. Halfway though, he stopped and looked back at Kodi. "Don't forget to introduce her to your friends. They came by a little bit earlier and they were wondering where you were."

"Ok dad. Good night."

"Good night son"


	3. A New Love

The two dogs walked towards the boiler room. The sun is gone and night has fallen over the quiet town.

"Your dad seems nice." Lily said as she broke the silence of the night.

"Yeah, today he was a bit tired. He's fun to talk to, but he wakes up early in the morning and runs around town to work his muscle. He's really fast."

Lily giggled and said "So let's see it you're as fast as you say your dad is. First one to boiler room wins."

"You're on!!!"

They both ran across the dark shore line. The full moon and the stars produced enough light for them two to run and see what was in front of them. They laughed the whole way. At first, Kodi was wining, but then Lily cached up and was in front of him. Kodi ran extra fast to pass her. Lily noticed his sudden burst in speed and smiled at his effort. They were getting closer to the boiler room. They could see it now. Kodi was running so fast that he didn't even notice the small rock in front of him and tripped on it.

Lily fell on him as he rolled across the ground. She was on top of him as they rolled like a cartwheel. Once they stopped, they couldn't help but laugh. Lily was on the floor while Kodi was over her. They laughed for a good minute until Kodi stopped and stared down at her passionately with a kind smile. She also stopped and looked up into his warm eyes. Their faces moved slowly closer to each other. They closed their eyes. Slowly, but steadily, they could feel their noses about to touch until they heard a noise. Someone cleared its throat hard enough to stop Kodi and Lily from what they were doing.

Kodi quickly got off her and she stood up. The whole team was looking at them. Ralph and Dusty had a smile on their faces. Hank and Kano were mesmerized by her beauty as well. They're face was in shock. Kodi and Lily blushed heavily and looked at each other. Kodi then looked at his team with a smile, something that he hasn't done in a long time.

"Um, teammates, this is Lily. She is new to Nome and will help us with the delivery." said Kodi with a smile.

"Hello everyone" she said sounding innocent.

"Hello. My name's Dusty and this is-"

"Hi. My name's Hank and this is my friend Kano." said Hank as he rudely interrupted Dusty.

"Um, hello Hank. So as you were saying Dusty. Who is this dog?" she asked as she looked at Ralph.

"Well, this is the love of my life, Ralph."

"How do you do madam?" he said as he lowered his head like a bow.

Dusty, Lily, and Kodi laughed. Hank moved up to Lily and asked her "So, would you like a walk around town? You know, like a small tour around Nome?" he tried to sound masculine, bit it didn't work.

"No thanks. Kodi showed me already and I feel tired. Where do I sleep?" she asked as she gave out a yawn.

_She is so beautiful... _Kodi said to himself.

"In here Lily. Let me show you inside." said Kodi with a paw in the air pointing to the boiler room.

"Thanks Kodi."

He and Lily walked pass the team and went into the warm room. The team followed behind them and separated for they were ready to fall asleep. Ralph and Dusty slept close together as usual. Hank and Kano didn't sleep together, but only a few feet away. Kodi slept on one side of the room and Lily went to sleep on the other. She wanted to close her eyes, but she felt strange. She then stood up and moved closer to Kodi.

She laid down next to him and snuggled close to him. The contact made him open his eyes in shock. He noticed it was Lily and then relaxed. She was resting her body on his and he felt so happy. For the first time in months, he didn't feel depressed and he didn't think about Kirby. She heard his heart beat and the lullaby played in her head.

"Good night Kodi"

"Good night Lily"

They soon fell into deep sleep.

** o **

From the distance, Hank noticed then two together asleep and was disgusted at the sight.

"How could a stupid gay dog, get the prettiest dog in Nome? She is too good for him……..She must and will be mine."

He laughed in his head as he plotted his next move. This time, against Kodi.


	4. The Truth Comes Out

Monday morning came and the team woke up from a long sleep. They headed out and the sun is shining bright. The dogs woke up one after the other. Kodi woke up to the beautiful sight of the girl of his life. _She looks like a peaceful angel when she is asleep_. Kodi slowly lifts himself up to not wake her up. She notices his warm body is gone, so she wakes up a few seconds later.

"Good morning Lily."

She yawned before she said "Good morning Kodi."

Mr. Simpson arrived with dry dog food and everyone ate. It's Lily's first day as a dog sled racer and is too nervous to eat anything. She just stands by the door and stares at the sled that is being packed with sacks of mail. Kodi notices her and walks up to her.

"You need to eat. You're going to need the energy to run." He said in a soft and caring tone.

"Yeah, it's just that……I'm nervous. This is my first time." She responded in a sad tone.

"Don't worry. You'll do well."

Kodi then nuzzled her and she nuzzled back.

"Thanks Kodi."

"Anything for you," Kodi responded. Lily blushed and looked away with a smile. Kodi gave that same smile back. _I…I can't hold it in anymore..._

"I love you Lily."

She looked at him in jy and responded " Kodi…….I love you too."

With that said, they nuzzled again. Hank saw everything. _That is so gross. She doesn't know anything. I guess I have to tell her everything. She won't love him anymore after she finds out the real Kodi. _He then laughed manically to himself. _I'll tell her everything. She will be mine._

Mr. Simpson called the team over a few minutes later. Lily ate all her food and so did the rest of the team. They left Nome fast and made the necessary stops. For the first time in a year, the team got to its destination on time. Everyone was so happy for the new member. She was really fast. The last two dogs, or wheel dogs, were Hank and Kano. The two dogs in between were of course, Dusty and Ralph. The first two dogs were Kodi and Lily. They smiled the whole way. Running on this team was a really good experience for her. The wind that hit her face, the happy children, Kodi; she just couldn't be happier.

** o **

The week came and went. Lily had proven herself to be a great runner. She moved fast and swift as the wind blew in her face. She always had a grin on her face when running. She would look to her left and would see Kodi with a grin as well. The trill of running made it all the training with her old master worth it.

It was Friday night, and the team has arrived early to Nome. Once there, Mr. Simpson let them go and gave them food. He patted Lily on the head and said "You're a really good girl. I'm proud of you." He then left with a smile on her. Lily was so proud of herself. Kodi was proud of her too.

"Oh my goodness Kodi this week has been amazing!" she told Kodi as they walked alone around town.

"Really, how so?" he asked hoping it was him.

"I got to be in the best dog-sled team in Alaska and I ran for the first time!! I saw so many beautiful things in the arctic. I meet new dogs and made new friends. This week was been the best."

"Oh." Kodi answered with his head hanging low and his ears back.

"…and I met the love of my life…." She said as she nuzzled him. Kodi lifted his head and accepted it. He then smiled at her.

"Hey Lily..." Hank said as he walked towards her. He stepped in-between the two happy dogs and faced Lily. "… you look very nice today. Want to walk around and catch up on things?"

Kodi looked surprised at his actions and the looked at Lily for her response. She looked annoyed at his offer and replied politely with a "No thank you. I'll stay here with Kodi."

She moved around the now irritated dog and sat down next to Kodi again. He couldn't keep his anger inside anymore and wanted to take action now. He looked around and started into her eyes with an angry, yet cool-like, expression.

"You won't like him anymore if you knew who he really is." Hank then left them two alone.

_What does he mean by 'who I really am'? Does he know about my past...about me and Kirby? _Kodi said in his mind.

Lily looked confused by his last comment and looked up to face Kodi. Kodi looked equally confused and looked down at her.

"What did he mean by that Kodi?" she asked in a very serious voice.

"I-I don't know Lily." He replied. In reality, he didn't know. He had to ask him personally and alone, but that dog hated anything 'un-normal'.

"We should go to sleep, its getting late. We'll talk more in the morning." He said to her with a reassuring smile.

She smiled back and said "Ok."


	5. The Evil Dog

It was dark now and everyone has fallen asleep. Kodi couldn't sleep at all. He wanted to know if Hank knew something, and if he did, why didn't he tell him?

Kodi slowly raised himself from his rest spot. He moved his body slowly to not wake his partner from her sleep. Her head was resting on his shoulder from the start, so he moved his shoulder with care and placed her head on the floor with success.

Kodi looked around the room to find Hank. The light from the full moon helped him in his search. He tried so hard to not make any noise, but the floor was very squeaky. Fortunately, the team was deep in their sleep.

He moved around and noticed his team mate, Hank, in a dark corner of the room. He was sitting up and looking straight at him. Something was not right about his eyes. _Was he waiting for me? _Kodi moved up to him and sat down in front of him.

"Hank….I-I don't know how to say this…." Kodi started. Hank still stared at him with those eyes that can kill.

Kodi looked down trying to find the right words. He knew very well with who he was talking too. He's not talking to his friend or buddy. He is talking to someone that hates dogs like him, but that's why he is afraid to ask. If he doesn't know, then he will, but if he does, what will he do to him?

"Come Kodi….you can tell me…..anything." Hank whispered with in an evil tone.

"Hank….do-do you know……about me and….Kirby?" he asked a bit ashamed to admit his love. It sort of hit him inside to feel that way.

"Well, it's about time you came out of the closet, stupid mutt." He replied with a grim.

"What?" Kodi was very shocked to hear his own team mate say those words to him. He would never imagine Hank saying those things, to him.

"You heard me queer!" he then gave out small sigh and continued in a softer tone. "Look…..I'll make you a deal. Since I 'care' about you, I'll help you out."

Hank walked up close to Kodi until his mouth was next to his right ear. He whispered to him.

"If you never talk to Lily ever again and never show her any affection, I won't tell her or any other dogs in Nome. You may think I'm a bad guy, but I'm really doing, is helping you out. Would you rather live a lie, or tell her who you really are so she can reject you and harm you like the rest of the dogs in this town?"

Kodi couldn't believe what he was telling him. _Lily wouldn't hate me if she found out who I loved...would she?_

Hank moved away from him and continued.

"I know everything. I know your about little affair with our lead dog. Your dad would be so disappointed in you. Just do what I say. Get away from the girl that will never accept you for who you are, and everything will be ok." He said with a fake caring smile.

"I….I, don't know." Kodi said looking away. "I love her now. She is so important to me."

"That's not important. She will know who you really are. I know you still miss him. She will know and she will never love you again."

"I do miss him, but……..maybe your right." Kodi looked down in sadness. "I don't want anybody else to find out, nobody knows about this……right Hank?"

"Oh no. Nobody knows but me. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone, as long as you stay away from that dog, got it?"

"Yeah….got it. Thanks Hank. I guess if she really is like that, then we are not meant to be."

With that, Kodi slowly waked away. Hank had a huge smile of accomplishment. He ended their relationship and she is now free for the taking.

He passed Lily who was still asleep. He felt a tear drop rolling down his red colored face. He looked away and continued until he dropped himself onto the floor and cried a little bit more.

Hank went back into his sleeping spot and closed his eyes. _Tomorrow will be a grand day._


	6. The Problem

The sun came up as usual. It was Saturday morning and the dogs woke up one by one. The musher came in to feed his dogs and left. He placed six bowls lined up next to the door. Ralph was the first to wake up. He licked Dusty on the neck and walked towards his breakfast, still half asleep. Dusty woke up a few minutes later and walked up to the food laid out for her. Ralph looked back and saw her walking towards him. He turned his body to face her and nuzzled her. She also returned his act of love. She then walked to her bowl and ate. Ralph also resumed eating.

Lily woke up feeling different. She was colder than usual. She lifted her head slowly and examined her surrounding. Kodi was gone. She couldn't see him anywhere. She stood up and looked again. He was no where to be seen. All she saw were two dogs eating and another two dogs still sleep on the floor near the hot boiler.

She ran towards Ralph and Dusty who stopped eating to look at her. She asked them in a calm voice where he was.

"Um, sorry Lily. We haven't seen Kodi." Dusty responded

"Yeah, maybe he's outside running or catching some air. He sometimes does that in the morning." added Ralph with his deep voice.

"Thanks you guys. I'll go out and see if I can find him. Where does he usually run?"

"At the beach, just a half-a-mile from here." said Dusty.

"Ok. I'll be right back."

Lily then ran outside and towards the beach. It was starting to become cloudy and much colder. She can feel the temperature drop all around her. She stopped and shivered. She then took this time to look around. The beach was near. She could hear the waves hitting the shoreline.

She ran a bit more. The musher would come by soon and Kodi was still nowhere in site. He would leave him if he was nowhere to be found and that would get him really angry. She was also very hungry. She didn't eat because Kodi was missing. She had a horrible feeling about this.

She ran a few yards more until a little brown down jumped in front of her.

"Hello Lily. Where are you running too in such a hurry? The musher is coming soon and we need to make a delivery" said Hank.

"I'm trying to find Kodi." She said looking around and over his head. "Have you seen him?"

"Oh, no I haven't, but let's not talk about him. I'm worried for you. We have to go. The musher will be here soon. You're a new dog. You don't want to end your first week not showing up, do you? That will make the musher doubt your abilities as a good sled dog."

He was right. Lily looked at him as he had a small grin growing in his face. She wanted this job so bad. She loved to run, but Kodi is still missing. She was in a big problem. If she continues to find Kodi, she may get kicked off the team, but if she goes with Hank, she may lose the greatest dog in her life. _Oh Kodi. Where can you be?_

"Well, so what will it be?" he asked

She stood there looking down and thought really hard. She then looked at Hank with a saddened look.

"Tell the team that I'll be there as soon as I find Kodi." She then ran pass Hank and continued her search.

He looked as she ran away from him. He was shocked by her reaction. _The love for that dog is more important then the team? Kodi has done too much damage to her brain. She must know his secret._

After a few minutes of thinking and plotting the right moment to tell her, he ran to find her.

** o **

What now seemed like hours to her has passed since the short meeting with Hank. Lily was now running around town even more worried. She was scared now. _Oh my goodness. Where are you Kodi? Please be alright...please._

There were so many things that were going to her mind. Horrible things. Things that she hoped were not going to happen. She had thoughts of what could have happened to him. She shook her head while running to escape those thoughts. She was near the outskirts of the small town. She stopped to take in breaths. She was very tired and exhausted. This was because she didn't eat anything.

She looked up as she was still taking in breaths. She saw a red dog sitting at a foothill, looking out into the mountains. She didn't know what he was staring at, but she knew he was the dog she was looking for.

"Kodi!!" Lily yelled in happiness.

The red dog looked back and saw his love run towards him. He wanted to run to her too. He took one step, but then stopped himself. He remembered what Hank told him. _She only loves me for who I'm not. I want to tell her, but she may not love me back._

The sad dog closed is eyes and faced the mountains again. Lily was still running, but stopped after he looked away from her. She was very confused.

Lily slowly waked up behind him. With her head tilted slightly to the side, she said his name.

"Kodi? Kodi, is everything alright?"

The young dog just looked down as he heard her sweet and gentle voice. His back was still facing her.

"Kodi, I've been so worried about you. We have to go. The musher will came by soon and he'll leave us if he doesn't find us there."

Kodi still remind silent, as if there was no one behind him. Lily then walked up to him and sat next to him. She looked at him as his head was facing down.

"My love, please answer me. Is everything alright?"

_My love? She doesn't know me, but do I want to lie to her? Is she worth the truth? Is she worth knowing who I really am?_

"Why are you acting so different? Is it because of what Hank said? Look, if it's that, I don't care. If it's something really bad, then, we'll work it out. I love you and you love me. We can work anything out, together."

Lily nuzzled him softly. She did this to show him how much she really cared about him. Kodi also returned the nuzzle with love. He was so happy to hear her say that everything will be alright.

_She does love me. How could of I have ever doubted her. She deserves the truth. She has to know everything._

"I love you too, Lily. I'm sorry that I acted this way. I need to tell you something very important." said Kodi looking at her eyes.

"Sure Kodi, you can tell me anything."

Kodi took in a deep breath and started.

"Ok, I want you to know tha-"

"Lily! I found you!" said Hank as he jumps in between them. Kodi almost fell down the hill. Lily moved back. She was now really frustrated.

"What do you want now Hank?" asked Lily very annoyed by his presence.

"I was looking for you to tell you about Kodi. You know Kirby right? The dog that……was eaten by wolves?" he asked.

Kodi was stunned by this. He wanted him to stop, but his body was shaking. He was too nervous to move. He was also very shocked that his friend, his teammate, was going to tell her his deepest and darkest secret.

"Yeah, I know him. Well, I never seen him, but he was the lead dog before Kodi. What does he have to do with Kodi?" she asked still annoyed.

Kodi looked down and closed his eyes. He wasn't ready for what was coming next. He closed his eyes shut and lowered his head, hoping for the best.

"Well, your lover-boy over there loved him." Spat Hank as he said that.

"What? What are you talking about? Of course he loved him, they were like brothers." She said trying to defend Kodi from his stupid remark.

"No, I mean, they 'loved' each other. They loved each other with such passion; passion that is only found between two mates."


	7. Love Prevals

Lily first didn't understand what he was saying. After a few seconds, she repeated those words in her head. _They loved each other with such passion; passion that is only found between two mates. _She looked at Kodi who was behind Hank. His head still lowered. He opened his eyes slowly and lifted his head. He looked into her brown eyes. She showed no reaction. She just looked at him. She was very much surprised to find this out, but of course, she had to make sure it wasn't a lie.

"Kodi…..is this true?" she asked carefully.

"I'm sorry……" he said and stared to cry a bit more. He then ran across her and away from her sight. She didn't move. She was still surprised.

"So, now that you know this, how about us go, before the musher leaves us." said Hank with no feeling towards Kodi.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Lily asked herself with eyes wide open.

"Because, he knew that you wouldn't love him anymore and so he wanted to keep it a secret."

"What!?! Not love him? I still love him!!! Even if he was in love with a male dog, I still love him. Whatever gave him that idea? I'm not prejudice."

Hank was shock to hear her say that. _She still loves him? After finding out he is gay?_

"But-but, he likes male dogs more than female dogs. Doesn't that bother you at ALL?"

"NO!!!! I mean, as long as he still loves me more than anyone else, I am perfectly alright. How could you tell him his secret? He was about to tell me. I thought you were his friend. Now I know you're just a stupid dog."

Lily gave him a stare that scared Hank for a while, like if she was about to jump on him and attack him. She then looked at the direction where Kodi went and ran towards it.

Hank was left there by himself.

** o **

Lily ran fast. She looked everywhere for Kodi, and yet again, she found nothing. She saw the boiler room door was slightly open. The team had left without her and Kodi. The morning sun light had vanished into darkness by huge black clouds.

Lily ran around the boiler room to see if he was around. She looked hard with eyes wide open. She then heard a loud clap of thunder. It startled her. She looked up into the black sky and saw the clouds move fast. She looked down and started to sniff the air for his scent. She picked up nothing, but the smell of moisture in the air. It was going to rain hard.

She sniffed the ground until she picked something up. She followed this familiar smell and she ended up inside the boiler room. It was dark and abandoned. It was very quite. She can hear the small tools inside slightly move with the small gusts of winds coming from the outside.

She moved with caution until she was in the middle of the empty room. She lifted her head up high and sniffed the area. The smell was coming from her right. She looked and found a hay stack. She slowly walked towards it. Her ears were straight up. She moved very slowly until she heard a small and almost inaudible sound. It was a small cry from Kodi behind the hay stack.

She moved and her head was looking down at the crying dog on the floor rolled up, as if he felt very cold.

"Kodi?" she asked in a very soft tone. "Kodi? We need to talk."

"Go away!!!" He responded with his head still hidden from her sight by his body.

"Kodi…." She moved closer to him, but before she can say anything else, he lifted his head and again yelled "GO AWAY!!!!"

His face almost made Lily want to cry. She can see tears falling from his face like waterfalls. He looked away and cried more. She didn't know what to say or do. He was just in so much pain.

_Why didn't I listen to my instincts? I'm not meant for love. Males and females don't love me. Why didn't I just forget about Kirby like everyone else? Why?_

Lily walked closer to him. She lowered her head and Kodi looked at her.

"Kodi…..do you love me?" she asked a bit worried about his reaction.

"What?" he asked a bit confused. Tears were still falling from his eyes.

"Do you love me?" she repeated.

Kodi looked away and thought about it. _I...I-I do love her. I love her..._

He looked into her eyes and stopped crying. He stood up without taking his eyes away from hers.

"Lily…I love you. I loved you since the first day I saw you. You are the most important dog in my life." He confessed to her

She smiled and said "Then I don't care what you were or used to love. As long as you love me now and forevermore, I love you back. I want to live my life with you. You too are the most important dog in my life."

Kodi wagged his tail and they nuzzled each other. After a few minutes, they parted and they looking into each others eyes.

"I'm sorry…" said Kodi with his head down. "; I should have told you about me and Kirby when we first meet. It's just that, I was so happy with you and I didn't want to remember him. I mean, I do miss him, but I would never get over him….until you came along. I'm so happy now, for the first time in such a long time."

"You don't have to apologize. If you didn't want to talk about your past, then you didn't have to. It's your life and your secret; nobody had to know about this, not even me. As long as you love me, I don't care about anything else."

"Thanks. I'm so lucky to have you." Said Kodi while giving her a nuzzle

"I'm so lucky to have you too." Said Lily retuning his nuzzle


	8. The Ultimate Act Of Love

Hank was still in the same foothill where he met up with Kodi and Lily. He looked down and he was really sad. The team had left him and the girl of his dreams in now gone. He laid down for a little while and felt the wind starting to blow harder. His fur moved back and forth with the winds random movement. He started to shiver.

_I can't believe a stupid queer dog got a girl, and I...didn't. She belongs to him, and I have nobody. What is there for me to do? It was easy to ruin Kirby's life, but Kodi…..he's different. Why?_

He lifted his head and looked around_. I still haven't tried hard enough. What if everyone knew? What if everyone didn't like him? I must ruin his life. I must try harder._

He then stood up and walked towards Balto's boat.

** o **

The now fully happy couple stepped out of the boiler room into the strong gusts of wind blowing outside. They closed their eyes and looked away from the blowing wind. It hit them hard. They both went beck inside.

"Wow" said Kodi. "That is very strong. I think we should stay inside, at least until the wind stops blowing so hard. Don't you think?"

"Yeah. We should, but it's getting a little cold in here." Lily said as she shivered.

Kodi noticed and walked up to her. He got on top of her and with his weight, easily rested on her back as she laid down under him. Her shivering stopped as she smiled. Kodi smiled back and blushed.

"Better?" asked Kodi.

"Much better, thanks."

After a few minutes of silence, Lily said something that shocked Kodi out of his mind.

"Hey Kodi….." she started ", do….do you want to start a family?"

Kodi stood up and looked down. He was very surprised and, in reality, he never really put any thought into having kids.

"What?" he said with his eyes wide open.

"I know it's a big step, but I love you. I want to be the mother your kids. You would be a great father, I know it." she said with a gentle smile on her face. She was looking up from under him.

"I-I don't know." replied Kodi both looking and walking away.

He sat down a few feet from her and looked a bit worried. Lily got up and walked towards him.

"What's the problem?"

"It's just that…..do you really think I would be a good father? I mean, after all that had happened?

"Yes, of course. Like I said before, the past is in the past. We must think about the future."

Kodi looked down and started to think. _I always wanted to be a father. Lily is beautiful and smart and kind. She's right. I...we, have to think about our future._

He looked up at her and smiled. He walked up to her and said "I'm ready."

Lily smiled back and stood up strong and firm. She moved her tail to her right and looked down waiting for him. Kodi got on top of her and so the ritual began. For a small moment, Kodi remember Kirby. He remembered the first time they did this. It was a wonderful and beautiful experience for him and his ex-mate. He hated that word, "ex-mate", but he was dead, and he will never come back. _Its time for me to move on, and start a family._

After a few minutes, Kodi gave out a fiery release and got off her. Lily fell to the floor, just as Kodi did on his first time. They both were panting hard, as if the air in the room got thin and there was a lack of oxygen.

They looked at each other, still gasping for air. They were a few inches away from each other. They smiled at the expression they had on their faces. Kodi walked towards his mate and nuzzled her. She was still on the floor.

"I love…you Kodi" she said

"I…love…you too" he replied.

After a few minutes of them cuddling each other, Kodi laid down next to her and they fell into deep sleep.


	9. The Misinterpretation

"What did you say?" asked Balto in shock. Hank had woken Balto up from an afternoon nap.

"You heard me. Kodi and Kirby used to love each other with such passion, that they even mated each other. It was disgusting to see them like that, but I felt bad for your son. That's why I didn't tell anyone, but now he is with this female dog and he is maybe cheating on her with a male dog."

"I can't believe that my son is…." Balto stopped himself. He just couldn't say that word. He looked away and shook his head in disappointment.

"I'm sorry that your son turned out to be like that. If there is anything I can do to help." aid Hank trying to sound and sorry as possible.

"How…how do you know that he is in love with another male?" asked Balto still looking away.

"He was in love with another one before; he will be like that forever. If he's with a girl now, it's only to prove to everyone that he is no longer gay. He wants to lie to everyone and make them believe that he is straight."

"I still can't believe Kodi is capable of such things. I need to talk to him about this."

"It's ok. I understand how you feel. I couldn't believe it either. I think he is in the boiler room with Lily."

"Thanks Hank for telling me. I just hope he didn't do anything stupid."

"I just don't know who he is anymore Balto."

"Me nether…"

Balto then started to walk very slowly out of his boat and made his way to the boiler room. Hank followed him out the boat but stopped at the deck and to see Balto leave his home. A small grin appeared on Hanks face as he saw Balto walk away. He was laughing inside.

** o **

Back in the boiler room, the happy dogs were sound asleep. Lily's head was resting on Kodi's paw.

Kodi heard something that made him wake up. It was the door and he saw his father at the doorway. Kodi got up slowly, trying not to wake Lily up.

"Hey dad. What's up?" whispered Kodi.

"I…I heard something. I want to know if it was true." said Balto looking down.

"Oh….um. What is it" asked Kodi

"Is it true that you and….Kirby loved each other?"

"What?" Kodi couldn't believe that his father asked him that. _The only dogs that knew were Lily and Hank. Did Hank tell me dad? That son of a-_

"Well?" asked Balto interrupting Kodi's thoughts

"I-I uh….Well….uh…you see…..um" He just couldn't say it to his father. He knew that his father won't like him anymore.

The sad father understood what he meant his indecisive voice. "Oh Kodiak….I can't believe that you were in love with a male. Didn't I raise you right? What was it that made you this way? Were you too close to females all the time?"

"No dad. It's not that. It's just; I loved him so much back then. I loved him so much. He was there and so was I. Its hard to explain. Do you understand?"

"No. Kodiak I don't understand. You are a male. Males must fall in love with females. That's how life works. Don't _you_ understand?" said Balto with anger in his voice.

"Sorry father, but nothing you say or do will change the fact that I loved him. I loved Kirby. He was my one and only." said Kodi also with anger in his voice.

"Wait, why are you saying stuff in the past tense? Who's the other male?"

"What other male? There is no other male. I'm in love with Lily." said Kodi looking over at the sleeping dog a few yards away. He looked back and continued. "We are going to have kids. Your going to be a grandpa." said Kodi in a soft tone.

Balto smiled and couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm, I'm so sorry Kodi. I thought, you were just using her and didn't really love her. I'm really happy for you and wish you the best of luck."

"What? Using her? Why would I do something like that?"

"Yeah, it's just that Hank told me that since you loved a male, then maybe, you still do and didn't want anyone to know. So he said that you got a girl and used her to show everyone that you didn't like males."

"WHAT!!! That Hank….when I get my paws on him…"

"Kodi, its ok, relax. You shouldn't care what one dog does or says about you. Just ignore him. You have your family, friends, and mate. The rest should be nothing."

"Your right dad. Thanks." Said Kodi giving him a nuzzle

"No problem Kodi."


	10. The NewBorn Father

Hank was still in the same foothill where he met up with Kodi and Lily. He looked down and he was really sad. The team had left him and the girl of his dreams in now gone. He laid down for a little while and felt the wind starting to blow harder. His fur moved back and forth with the winds random movement. He started to shiver.

_I can't believe a stupid queer dog got a girl, and I...didn't. She belongs to him, and I have nobody. What is there for me to do? It was easy to ruin Kirby's life, but Kodi…..he's different. Why?_

He lifted his head and looked around_. I still haven't tried hard enough. What if everyone knew? What if everyone didn't like him? I must ruin his life. I must try harder._

He then stood up and walked towards Balto's boat.

** o **

The now fully happy couple stepped out of the boiler room into the strong gusts of wind blowing outside. They closed their eyes and looked away from the blowing wind. It hit them hard. They both went beck inside.

"Wow" said Kodi. "That is very strong. I think we should stay inside, at least until the wind stops blowing so hard. Don't you think?"

"Yeah. We should, but it's getting a little cold in here." Lily said as she shivered.

Kodi noticed and walked up to her. He got on top of her and with his weight, easily rested on her back as she laid down under him. Her shivering stopped as she smiled. Kodi smiled back and blushed.

"Better?" asked Kodi.

"Much better, thanks."

After a few minutes of silence, Lily said something that shocked Kodi out of his mind.

"Hey Kodi….." she started ", do….do you want to start a family?"

Kodi stood up and looked down. He was very surprised and, in reality, he never really put any thought into having kids.

"What?" he said with his eyes wide open.

"I know it's a big step, but I love you. I want to be the mother your kids. You would be a great father, I know it." she said with a gentle smile on her face. She was looking up from under him.

"I-I don't know." replied Kodi both looking and walking away.

He sat down a few feet from her and looked a bit worried. Lily got up and walked towards him.

"What's the problem?"

"It's just that…..do you really think I would be a good father? I mean, after all that had happened?

"Yes, of course. Like I said before, the past is in the past. We must think about the future."

Kodi looked down and started to think. _I always wanted to be a father. Lily is beautiful and smart and kind. She's right. I...we, have to think about our future._

He looked up at her and smiled. He walked up to her and said "I'm ready."

Lily smiled back and stood up strong and firm. She moved her tail to her right and looked down waiting for him. Kodi got on top of her and so the ritual began. For a small moment, Kodi remember Kirby. He remembered the first time they did this. It was a wonderful and beautiful experience for him and his ex-mate. He hated that word, "ex-mate", but he was dead, and he will never come back. _Its time for me to move on, and start a family._

After a few minutes, Kodi gave out a fiery release and got off her. Lily fell to the floor, just as Kodi did on his first time. They both were panting hard, as if the air in the room got thin and there was a lack of oxygen.

They looked at each other, still gasping for air. They were a few inches away from each other. They smiled at the expression they had on their faces. Kodi walked towards his mate and nuzzled her. She was still on the floor.

"I love…you Kodi" she said

"I…love…you too" he replied.

After a few minutes of them cuddling each other, Kodi laid down next to her and they fell into deep sleep.


	11. Kirby?

It was really dark outside and very cold. He walked slowly remembering his kids and how beautiful they are. He walked through an ally. The same one he had always walked by to get to the boiler room. He never thought anything about it before, but today was different. It smelled different. The air was a bit thin. It started to smell bad, like blood and rotting flesh. The images of the night they found Kirby dead returned. He closed his eyes and shook his head violently. _No...no...I will not remember...I will not._

He opened his eyes and there was nobody there. The ally was dark. There was no light source. On the wall to his right was a light bulb, but it was burned out. He started to walk again, but looking around with so much caution. He felt like he was being watched and followed. The ally started to get longer, like if there is no end to it. He was very scared.

Kodi began to run with his eyes closed and tears slowly coming down from his eyes. He stopped and opened them. He was out of that ally and calmed down. He gave out a loud sigh of relief. The ally was still dark, but a fog had appeared.

From that fog he started to notice a figure walking slowly to him. The figure slowly started to look like a dog. After a while, he noticed it was limping. Kodi peered his eyes to get a better view of this dog. He was very curious to know who it was now, maybe a teammate or a local dog.

The closer it walked, the more Kodi can see who it was. It started to get bigger and that dog was wider than him. The fog didn't allow Kodi to make anything out of the dogs face.

Kodi stepped closer to see.

"Hello?" he asked. "Who are you?"

The dog stopped for a moment. You can see that the dog's ears stood straight up. It then continued its pace towards Kodi.

Kodi just stood there still waiting for a reply.

After a few more seconds, the dog finally made its way through the ally and it came out of the fog and into view. It looked at Kodi and smiled.

Kodi stood there in shock. He couldn't believe what he saw. It was impossible

_No...it-it can't be._

He was speechless for a moment, then after a while, he finally said the brown dog's name.

"Kirby?"


End file.
